Research centers and outreach programs are an important element in the University of Iowa College of Law's overall service to the outside professional and civic communities. For many years the College was home to the nation's first Agricultural Law Center. That center closed some years ago, but in the interim period four new Centers and Institutes have arisen in such diverse fields as child and maternal health care, disability law and policy, not-for-profit entities, public international finance, and human rights law. These auxiliary programs located in and around the Boyd Law Building enjoy increasing national and international recognition for their specialized research projects and service activities. Several of these resource centers have been very successful in attracting competitive external grants from state, federal and private foundation sources.